Chili Verde and Sope Shells

My husband is a Chili Verde kind of a guy. I'm Carnita's.

So when my husband saw an episode of Guy's Big Bite, featuring chili Verde in a Sope shell, he asked me to make it. Then I saw that Ben from What's cooking? and Courtney of CocoCooks were hosting an event for Cinco De Mayo, The Tamale Open. Make something with Tamale dough.

Here is what they said;

Make a dish using tamale dough. It doesn’t have to be just tamales. Tamales (like most Mexican dishes) are made and wrapped in many different ways and the dough is also used for casseroles, stews, and other kinds of dishes. So be creative when making your dish. Just remember that it has to be done with a corn-based dough.

Well, I think this recipe fits the bill.
A sope - pronounced "SOH-peh" - is a traditional Mexican dish. The base is made from a thickish, small circle of fried masa (also used as the basis for tamales and tortillas) with pinched sides. This is then topped with refried beans...
ht: Wikipedia


or in my case, chili verde. As much as I loved the sope shells, they were deep fried. Great for Cinco de Mayo or special occasions, but not an everyday meal if you want to maintain some sort of waste line.

Delicious? Yes

Figure-friendly? NO

The chili verde? I roasted my tomatillos and peppers first. I browned my pork and deglazed my pan. I sauteed onion and garlic. Then I threw it all in the crock pot with the spices and cooked long and slow. I've made this recipe twice now, so that's saying alot for this recipe. This will be a keeper. My husband loves it!!! I loved it!

Chili Verde VS Carnitas?
I think I can swing both ways!
I'm serving this up as my entry to the Tamale Open. The round up is May 5TH.

Chili Verde

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

4 pounds pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes, trimmed of fat
4 yellow onions, chopped
4 Anaheim chiles
2 jalapeno, minced
4 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 pound tomatillos, husk removed
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons ground oregano
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil, add the onion, peppers and garlic. Saute until translucent, do not brown. Remove and set mixture aside.
Lightly grill the tomatillos on open flame until lightly charred. Remove from heat, place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep warm for 20 minutes.
Add pork butt to Dutch oven and cook over high heat until browned on all sides
Add the onion-pepper mixture and tomatillos to the pork. Mix thoroughly and then deglaze with white wine and vinegar. Let reduce for 5 minutes, then add chicken stock, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
Let simmer for 1 hour.

Sopes
1 1/2 cups masa harina
1 cup water
Mix the masa and water together into a smooth consistency for about 3 to 5 minutes. If working in large amounts cover bowl with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
Take a piece of the dough about the side of a cue ball, and roll into a firm ball. In a tortilla press or with a hard flat book or cutting board, line with 2 pieces of plastic. Place masa ball in the middle and apply pressure until ball pushes out to 4 to 5-inch diameter. (if edges of patty are cracked deeply the dough maybe too dry or if the patty does not remove from the plastic easily the dough maybe too moist.)
Heat a cast iron pan to very hot. Place masa patty on pan without any oil, brown on both sides, approximately 1 minute on each side. Remove and let cool.
While still warm, remove the center of the dough, and form the edges up, making a hollow tart like shell.
Heat 1-inch of canola oil to 350 degrees F. Add sope shells to oil and cook on both sides until crispy and golden brown. Hold warm for service.


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